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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. season — in sport
  6. charge — electricity
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ground — crushed
  9. mate — a partner
  10. fine — high quality
  11. ground — a position
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. ground — the earth
  14. staff — employees
  15. mate — to breed
  16. season — of the year
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. staff — employees
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. staff — a stick
  22. mate — a friend
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com